Improved light trapping in microcrystalline silicon solar cells by plasmonic back reflector with broad angular scattering and low parasitic absorption

We show experimentally that the photocurrent of thin-film hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (?c-Si:H) solar cells can be enhanced by 4.5?mA/cm2 with a plasmonic back reflector (BR). The light trapping performance is improved using plasmonic BR with broader angular scattering and lower parasitic absorption loss through tuning the size of...

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon deposited under accurately controlled ion bombardment using pulse-shaped substrate biasing

We have applied pulse-shaped biasing to the expanding thermal plasma deposition of hydrogenated amorphous silicon at substrate temperatures ? 200?°C and growth rates around 1 nm/s. Substrate voltage measurements and measurements with a retarding field energy analyzer demonstrate the achieved control over the ion energy distribution for...

On the surface roughness development of hydrogenated amorphous silicon deposited at low growth rates

The surface roughness evolution of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films has been studied using in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry for a temperature range of 150–400?°C. The effect of external rf substrate biasing on the coalescence phase is discussed and a removal/densification of a hydrogen-rich layer is suggested to explain the...